It has become conventional to pack the holes in buildings that are penetrated by mechanical and electrical services with fire-stop materials. This is particularly true where holes for pipes penetrate through concrete floors and walls.
In such cases the holes that are cast or drilled in place are always significantly larger than the pipes that are intended to pass therethrough. This permits small misalignments of the pipes to be accommodated.
The gap between the pipe and perimeter of the hole is then packed with materials to resist the transfer of fire across the fire barrier created by the wall or floor. In the United States a typical industrial standard set for fire-stop materials that perform this function is the test standard ULI 1479 set by Underwriters Laboratories Ltd. Many architects specify for fire-stop materials that meet this standard.
A satisfactory fire-stop arrangement has previously been established using a combination of mineral wool packing and an intumescent silicone sealant (usually a self-levelling, or gun-grade, room temperature vulcanizing-RTV sealant) that is applied as an elastomeric caulk to contain the mineral wool packing and create an air-tight seal. This sealant must bond sufficiently to the pipe and hole to resist washing-out, as where water from fire hoses floods a floor in a building.
Customarily, the silicone sealant has been marketed in extrudable tubes. As such sealants are moisture-curing, they will, once opened, have only a limited life-time. Since such sealant is an expensive material, it has been found efficient to supply it in multiple, sealed units or tubes of moderate volume.
The mineral wool used for packing is inherently nonflammable. It serves to insulate gaps between pipes and hole perimeters and acts as the fire-stop. The sealant, applied to the top surface of the wool for floor penetrations, and on both sides of the wool for wall penetrations, serves to block smoke and prevent air flow.
In a typical case of a 6 inch diameter hole filled with a 4 inch pipe a gap of approximately one inch will exist around the pipe. The mineral wool is packed into this gap, usually to a required minimum length (extending along the pipe) according to the fire rating that is desired, e.g., a 2 hour rating may require 114 mm or 41/2 inches of wool. The gap at the places where the pipe exits the hole is then sealed with the sealant, to a specified depth, typically 6 mm or about one-quarter of an inch, in order to meet the approved standard. The wool should be placed close to the end of the hole to support the sealant and provide a guide to ensure that a proper, minimum depth of sealant is applied.
All fire-stop design listings (Underwriter's Laboratories and Factory Mutual approvals) indicate that specific tested fire-components, when applied according to the prescribed methods, constitute the approved fire-stop system. When sealant and mineral wool are purchased separately, there is no certainty that the approved combination of material will be selected. This invention ensures that the specifically approved combination of fire-stop components to meet such standards are delivered to the end user.
It has been found by the inventor herein that a typical worker can install fire-stop for about 25-30 average floor penetrations in a four hour shift. This consumes around 16 feet of four inch thick, two inch wide, compressible mineral wool batting; and about 6 tubes of 300 ml, (or 10.1 fluid ounces), of silicone caulking.
Workmen on a job site conveniently require as tools for installation of this type of fire-stop:
(1) a caulking gun--to force sealant from the tube; PA0 (2) a knife--to open the sealant tube; PA0 (3) a mask and gloves--for protection; and PA0 (4) a stick--for pressing the mineral wool into place. PA0 (1) a supply of mineral wool; PA0 (2) a supply of intumescent sealant; and PA0 (3) at least one tool for installing the sealant in the form of a caulking gun, PA0 (1) a caulking gun--to force sealant from the tube; PA0 (2) a knife--to open the sealant tube; PA0 (3) a mask and gloves--for protection; and PA0 (4) a stick--for pressing the mineral wool into place, optionally embossed with guide marks for determining correct mineral wool placement.
Items (3) and (4), to the extent that they have been provided to workmen in the past, have been treated as consumables and are thrown away after a short period of use. Item (2) is often assumed to be provided by the workman, and item (1) has often been considered reusable, although caulking guns are often lost on the job site, as are other tools.
Against this background the inventor has recognized that the delivery and consumption of fire-stop materials can be rendered more convenient and efficient by means of assembly of a specific "kit" of materials, and its delivery in a convenient packaging format.
The invention in its general form will first be described, and then its implementation in terms of specific embodiments will be detailed with reference to the drawings following hereafter. These embodiments are intended to demonstrate the principle of the invention, and the manner of its implementation. The invention will then be further described, and defined, in each of the individual claims which conclude this Specification.